The Lopez Affair

The Chronicles of Christoval Alvarez #9

by Ann Swinfen

When ruthless men are locked in an unremitting struggle for supremacy, even the innocent may become victims. The Earl of Essex, Elizabeth I’s arrogant favourite, will stop at nothing in his greedy pursuit of power, at times heedlessly trying her patience too far. His great rival, Lord Burghley’s son Sir Robert Cecil, is a frail, crippled man, a man Essex believes can be swept aside. But Cecil possesses a brilliant mind and an understanding of statecraft that Essex will never match. Before long Christoval Alvarez is caught up in the complex maze of their intrigues, which lead to violence, injustice, and ultimately a rigged trial and execution.

Genres: Historical Fiction

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2017

About the author

Ann Swinfen spent her childhood partly in England and partly on the east coast of America. She read Classics and Mathematics at Oxford, where she married a fellow undergraduate, the historian David Swinfen. While bringing up their five children and studying for an MSc in Mathematics and a BA and PhD in English Literature, she had a variety of jobs, including university lecturer, translator, freelance journalist and software designer.

She served for nine years on the governing council of the Open University and for five years worked as a manager and editor in the technical author division of an international computer company, but gave up her full-time job to concentrate on her writing, while continuing part-time university teaching. In 1995 she founded Dundee Book Events, a voluntary organisation promoting books and authors to the general public.

Her first three novels, The Anniversary, The Travellers, and A Running Tide, all with a contemporary setting but also an historical resonance, were published by Random House, with translations into Dutch and German. Her fourth novel, The Testament of Mariam, marked something of a departure. Set in the first century, it recounts, from an unusual perspective, one of the most famous and yet ambiguous stories in human history. At the same time it explores life under a foreign occupying force, in lands still torn by conflict to this day. Her latest novel, Flood, is set in the fenlands of East Anglia during the seventeenth century, where the local people fought desperately to save their land from greedy and unscrupulous speculators.

She now lives on the northeast coast of Scotland, with her husband (formerly vice-principal of the University of Dundee), a cocker spaniel and two Maine Coon cats.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publication of this ninth in the series, a favorite of mine, slipped by me in December. I continue to enjoy the courage and dedication of Dr. Alvarez who is tested to her limits both at work and handling the danger facing those she has been closely allied with. Events are coming to a dramatic end, so I will hope I am able to catch the next book as swiftly as it is published.

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition to this series. Nine books in and the quality is still very high!

[Sandra Sory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an ever turning, twisting plot, based on true facts. I enjoyed how the author was able to add our hero into the plot line.
Sadly, as the end end of this books ends with a hint of more to come, the authour Swinfin has passed, and we will never know more about Kit and his family.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Precarious Life in Elizabethan England

Although I do know the background to the historical events in this story and the outcome, that will not deter me from reading the story written in Swinfen’s inimitable style. Kit is still working at St Thomas’s Hospital as a doctor, but an old friend from St Bart’s is in trouble and comes to her for help. As in other books in this series, Kit’s Arabic medical knowledge (learned from her late father) is far ahead of her English colleagues, and a passage about a new-born early in the story demonstrates this. Just when Kit is feeling reasonably comfortable and safe in her disguise (apart from her arch-enemy), she gets a very disagreeable shock when she finds out that someone else also knows her true identity. The Players are having a very good season, but with Marlowe now dead, Shakespeare is churning out new plays as fast as he can.

As she begins making inquiries on behalf of her friend in trouble, Kit finds herself being drawn inexorably back into the web of the intelligence world. However, it is not same as it was under Sir Francis Walsingham, with the Earl of Essex, a favourite of the Queen, setting up a service, while his Uncle, Lord Burghley, had already been active in intelligence work and sometimes overlapped with Sir Francis. Since the death of Sir Francis, Lord Burghley and his son, Sir Robert Cecil, enlarged their operation to become a full intelligence service in opposition to Essex and the rivalry is fierce and dangerous. To all intents and purposes England now has no single effective intelligence service dedicated solely to the defence of the realm and Her Majesty. The Marrano community is under serious threat and it seems that they may have to flee England, but everything hinges on the rivalry between Essex and the Cecils. The inept, arrogant Essex is no match for the Cecils, but he is close to the Queen and is filled with ambition to rise even higher than he is.

As usual with Ann Swinfen books, this one is fiction and history seamlessly interwoven into a deeply satisfying whole. Each new book in the “Chronicles” series is the best yet, and this one is no exception. Swinfen’s magnificent descriptive prose and her undoubted flair with dialogue, combined with a rare gift for story-telling makes each book, including this one, engrossing reading. Do I recommend this book? Of course I do.

[Debra G. Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have loved this series and got really excited about reading the latest installment of the adventures of Christoval Alvarez. Having never reviewed a book before, I feel I must explain the poor rating. This one was disappointing to me in that I felt Christoval's life just stood still here. Yes, she/he was rightfully terrified of the situation but otherwise nothing happened. The story just felt like an easy way to slip in a history lesson and basically nothing else. Felt very flat compared with most of the previous books in the series. Still, I look forward to another one with perhaps a bit more character/relationship developments.

[Cindy Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating history

I love this series! There is so much intrigue and political cat-and-mouse in a very well written and conceived plot. Human life is worthless at times.....a harsh reality in 16th century England. We are shown aspects of poverty that are hardly thought of but greatly impact the lives of the lower class.
I eagerly await the next installment of this brilliantly written series packed with facts and events of the day. Definite must read series for historical fiction readers....a real treat!

[Becky Almon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly a cliffhanger ending and the wonderful author no longer with us

I have binged this wonderful series of historical mystery/adventures , and find myself severely depressed that the very talented author has died.
I had previously read her medieval shorter series, alas also unfinished.
A truly gifted writer and well crafted and researched tales.
Even though there is no neat ending to the characters' stories, these books are well worth your time to read.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book will be a disappointment to many readers who have followed the series. For much of the story, Kit’s only role is to narrate events. The second half reads more like “horrible histories” than a novel about a very interesting character. And, at the end, Kit is left dangling with no clues as to her future. Even some of the book’s plot threads are left unresolved.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If ever you think that bigotry and racism are modern-era problems, think again. In this book, Ann Swinfen shows the terrible consequences of being seen as a "Stranger" and the constant fear that accompanies not being accepted in your own country. I'm very sad that this series ended! One good thing to come of it is that I look forward to reading more about Tudor spycraft and the era as a whole.

[Tricia Gardella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured every book in this series. Set during the Spanish Inquisition, a young girl is disguised as a boy while the family attempts to escape to England. Once there the girl keeps her disguise to help her physician father. Then she keeps her disguise just because and oh the adventures she has.

[Donald Feyereisen]

Just finished the series. The author's knowledge about the time period is amazing. The pace is quick The transitions from book to book flow smoothly. The reader feels as if he is one of the characters participating in the doctor's adventure. Hope there is a 10th novel coming because we are left with a new addition to the story at the end of the 9th book. What happens next??

[Glenda Clemens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love every book Ann has written but this series is my favorite and this book in particular is great. The first book was good but each book has gotten better and better. I am already eagerly awaiting the next book---the cliff hanger at the end makes it inevitable!

[Kathleen Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entire book was quick reading!

Ann Swinfen beyond talented, her prose is breathtaking and enduring. She tied up all the little lives of her characters as in real life. What was in the letter the Dr. Alvarez received?

[Hebby Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story in this book takes so long to get started and it ends so abruptly, leaving the reader hanging on various threads, as to what happens about Poley or with Simon. How long can the "hero" go on the way he/she is? If this is the end of the series, very unsatisfying.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story

I'd held off for a long time reading this last book of the series. It's hard knowing there will be no more. But at least there were this many delightful stories. I can only imagine the future of the good doctor.

[William N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Into each life some rain must fall

And some people drown. This volume is much harsher than previous volumes, but it is telling of actual historical events, nasty ones. Still, the book is interesting and worth a read.

[Jane Gibbens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story with interesting historical detail about life in this period including insights into how medicine was practised which I always find fascinating), very sad to have reached the end of the series (as the author has died so I presume there can be no more)

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful Historical fiction series and I'm sorry not to be able to continue Kit's adventures. So many questions unanswered, so many hopes for the future. The wealth of history and humanity in these books is heartwarming and heartbreaking.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this series! More, please.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Wonderful story continues the series couldn’t put it down love historical books can’t wait for the next one r to come

[Karen Pirelli Appelbaum]

This one was really interesting, and it prompted me to research the historical information.

[A Hudak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sad that we will never know what happens to Kit Alvarez!

[George Herbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant, so sad that was the last book in the series and we will never find out the the answer to the twist at the end.

[Alison Pilkington · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful series of books overall but I felt the last 2 were not quite as strong as the earlier ones. But it doesn’t matter. So sad that there will be no more but gives us the opportunity of imagining our own future for Christoval.

[PRK Oregon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fabulous series of stories. So happy this fine author decided to write a series instead of 1 book to cover Dr. Alvarez's career.